Death for Dasey
by MonkeyGurl92
Summary: Derek and Casey are the only two living family members after a fatal accident kind of violent and gross that kills most of their family. Read and see how the characters grow and change to cope with their new lives, and possibly new loves?
1. The Graveyard

A figure dressed all in black stood staring at the tombstones. Tears streamed down her porcelain face. Chestnut hair whipping in the wind, she squeezed her eyes shut, and heaved a final, loud sigh, before turning and racing for the car.

Derek Venturi watched his step-sister leave. His mind was clouded with grief. He knew he would always remember this day, the day of his family's funeral. He gazed at the five tombstones, wishing he was still apart of the now silent group.

Derek's tear filled gaze swept over each of the inscriptions he and Casey had placed on Marti, Edmund, Lizzie, Nora, and George's graves. Trying to stop the tears from falling, he gazed at the bright blue sky. It was only fit that God would have a happy sky to welcome home to Heaven probably the best people Derek had ever known. If only Derek could be as happy as Heaven's angels would now be.

A horn sounded in the distance. Casey, in the passenger seat of the Prince, his dad's old car, was impatiently waiting to get out of this place, this prison of death. He gave one last heartfelt look at the old McDonald-Venturi graves, then turned and walked out of the graveyard. He only wished he could walk out of his own broken heart, and leave all the memories there.


	2. The Trip Back Home

**Hey Guys! Thanks for all of your awesome reviews! They've been great. I'm sorry my first chapter was so short, but I've been swamped with school lately! I'M SORRY! I'll try to write as quickly as I can, but expect a new chapter maybe twice a week. Oh, btw, I LOVE reviews, so please respond!! Thanks!**

Casey and Derek sat quietly for a moment in the car, each trying to calm down before having to face the home that had become their Hell on Earth. Derek started the car, letting the roar of the engine soothe his nerves, like a baby being pacified with a blanket. The sound was familiar and consistent, one of the only things that hadn't changed in the past week since finding out about his family's death. With a last long, grief-stricken look at the cemetery, he pulled away from the curb, leaving most of the Venturi-McDonald family in their final resting places.

He drove down long, winding roads, all the while being suffocated by the silence that enveloped him and his step-sister. Derek glanced at Casey, and he wanted to say something, _anything_ to get her to smile, or at least to help ease some of the pain that he knew she was harboring inside. But when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. It was as if the silence had swallowed his voice, leaving him mute. He opted for turning on the radio, but realized that as soon as he did, it was a mistake. The song drifting from his speakers, was like a knife in his broken heart, and Derek saw the tears forming in Casey's eyes.

He abruptly shut it off, earning him a sympathetic, if still teary, look from his step-sister. A few uncomfortable minutes later, and what was left of the Venturi-McDonald family pulled into the driveway of their house. To an ordinary person, it looked like a normal house. But to Derek, and perhaps Casey, it felt like a prison, torturing them with memories of loved ones past, haunting them with the reminder that those loved ones were gone forever.

Casey turned to look at him, her bright blue eyes searching his own. He felt as if she was inspecting his soul, and was finding it unworthy. Derek quickly broke the gaze. He couldn't bear to look at Casey too long, for it brought back all the good times and the bad times, and all the times with his family. Derek was determined not to cry in front of her. He was now the man of the house, and he had to stay strong for her. After all, Derek loved her, she was his sister.

Derek was surprised when she spoke. It was so soft at first he didn't think he had heard her. "Derek," She said quietly, commanding his attention. "Are you ready?" Casey asked, pointedly looking towards the house. He knew that she meant was he ready to go in, and face remembering.

"No. No, I'm not. But I really don't think I'll ever be," His voice was hoarse, from the inner struggle of containing his emotions. Even as he said that though, he knew that they couldn't hide in the car forever. So Derek opened got out of the Prince, waited until Casey joined him, and then, grabbing hands, walked together bravely into the House of Pain, as they would come to call it.

**I hope you liked this chapter. PLEASE give me feedback so I can improve on anything that you didn't like, or for some more story ideas! Btw, Thank you Rebecca for helping me get this started. I couldn't have had this much of a good time w/out u! ily! Thanks, again everyone!!**


	3. Crying

**I do not own Life with Derek, but I am taking the characters, and using MY OWN IDEAS to write this story. **

Derek was let go of Casey's hand as soon as he had led her past the front door. She felt chills of fear running up her spine, not quite ready to face the loneliness that would surely immerse her home. Casey froze at the entranceway, looking around the lower level; it was as if the past few weeks hadn't even happened.

Lizzie's soccer ball was still at the front door where she had left it. Marti's stuffed animals littered the couch, while Edmund's betting book lay open on the kitchen table. George briefcase was by the kitchen doorway. Her mom's favorite perfume scent still lingered around the couch.

Casey saw all of this in the briefest of seconds. She had lost sight of Derek and felt completely and utterly alone. Upon remembering that her family was never coming home, that her life would never be normal again, she sank down to the floor, sobs wracking her body.

--

Derek was in the kitchen when he heard the noise. It was a gut wrenching sound. His first thought was of Casey.

"CASEY??" He panicked, running out of the kitchen. He followed the choking sounds until he was at the front doorway, and found his step sister on the floor, crying as if the world had ended. Which, in a way, it had.

"Oh Casey, shhh… It's ok. Come here," He said soothingly, hugging her shoulders softly. His beautiful sister now clutched at his shirt, squeezing him with all her might, mumbling incoherently. "What? Casey you're going to have to speak up, I can't hear you."

She looked at him, tears in her eyes, even more pouring down her face, staining her shirt. Snot began to run down her nose. Even as she tried to speak, she was out of breath from crying, sobs interrupting her at every other word. "Don't (gasp, sob) leave (sob, gasp) me, please (gasp)," Casey begged him.

"Casey, I won't. Come on. Let's get you off the floor, and into your bed," He tried to reason with her. But it was as if she hadn't heard him. She was back down on the floor, doubled over, sobs still escaping her, curled up to protect herself.

Derek inwardly groaned. He was upset, too, actually dying on the inside. Concentrating on this poor person whom he had grown so much to care about, the person with whom he was now closest to, he was able to stay normal, and not break down. Derek picked up Casey, and carried her upstairs. But, at her request, laid her down in his bed.

He left the room to get tissues, ignoring everything around him, concentrating on the task at hand. After finding the box, he raced back into his room. He had almost burst into tears at the sight of 

Edwin and Marti's rooms. In his room, Derek felt safe, and, for a moment, normal. Then he turned his attention back to Casey.

"Here, Case, I brought you these," He said to her. Her only response was to grab one, wipe her nose, and lay down on his bed.

She then looked up at him expectantly. He face must have shown his misunderstanding, for she proceeded to pat the spot next to her. "Derek, please. I (gasp), I (gasp, sob) can't be alone," Casey's voice broke on alone, and she was smothered by her sobs, yet again.

Derek lay down beside her. She leaned her head against his chest, still weeping. The only thing he was aware of as he fell asleep beside his step sister, was the dampness of his shirt, from her tears, and the feeling of comfort, the one that had been ripped out from underneath him when his family disappeared from this world, the one now being provided by Casey. He then slipped off into oblivion.

**Again, a big thanks to my loyal readers. My story would not be as much fun to write, or as successful without you guys there to support me. Also, Rebecca, who helped me combine chapters (finally! Lol). Next chapter I'm planning on describing how the Venturi/McDonald family was killed. Btw, the dashes in the story show a character point of view change. Please comment!!**


	4. Casey's Dream

Casey fitfully slept. She tossed and turned, struggling to keep the nightmares that haunted her at bay. They won in the end anyways.

_'She was in the car, next to Derek, bickering with him like always. The two step siblings were following behind George and Nora, who had Marti, Edwin, and Lizzie riding along with them. They were going out for a rare treat, eating out for dinner. It was George and Nora's anniversary, and they were taking the family to an elegant Italian restaurant. Little did they know the anniversary of their wedding was to become a remembered date for something else. _

_Casey was arguing with Derek about what radio station to listen to. She could see the kids silhouettes up in of her, and it looked like Edwin and Lizzie were having a disagreement about something as well. She laughed, and pointed this out to Derek, noticing the similarities between each of their siblings and themselves. Typical Derek rolled his eyes, like he could care less. _

_"God, Derek, you don't have to be so rude," Casey snapped._

_"What? Just because I don't care about your __**stupid **__obsessions means that you get to yell at me?!" He quickly retorted._

_Casey's face grew hot. "My obsessions aren't stupid! They are mature and womanly, very appropriate for a girl my age. Unlike __**your**__ interests, my dear brother."_

_"Don't even start on me. You're the freak of nature, always having to be Miss Perfect. News Flash: Nobody likes perfect people, especially boring perfect people!"_

_And so the argument went on… Derek and Casey were so caught up in getting back at each other, trying to insult the other more; that they didn't notice the traffic jam until almost too late. Casey looked up when Derek swore. He slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding the back end of the car in front of them. _

_There was a car pile-up about a hundred feet up the road. Car parts littered the street, people screamed, flames shot up, and Casey just sat in her seat, too stunned to move. Because Derek and Casey had just noticed something sickening. Nora's little Impala, was squished under an RV. From what little they could see, the car, and soon to be their family, was in ruins. _

_Blood was smeared on the front window, the back end was non- existent, the side doors had crumpled in. It looked like a smushed pop can, and it had just gotten worse. _

_The front engine was on fire. In the same amount of time it took Casey to scream and dive out of Derek's car, the Venturi/McDonald family exploded. And no matter how hard she wished at that very moment that no one was still in the car when it detonated, Casey knew she would never see her loved ones, alive, again.'_

**Well, that's the main part of how Dasey's family dies. More details on that later. I couldn't go into too much, because Casey's dream was her POV on how the Venturi/McDonalds die. She was reliving the **

**moment in this one… so what actually caused the pile up, comes later. Hope you enjoyed it. Suggestions/Comments/Concerns??**


	5. Dream Talk

A scream pierced the quiet air. Derek jerked away. His bleary eyes quickly cleared, showing a trembling Casey staring at him with wild eyes.

"Casey? What's wrong?" He asked, worried.

"I saw it, Derek," She whispered, her eyes begging for him to relieve her of her pain. "I saw them die. The car exploded, again, and again, and I couldn't…" Her voice broke. "I couldn't stop it."

By the time she uttered this last sentence, Casey was sobbing again. Tears flooded down her cheeks, the blue of her eyes so clear, it was like looking through the ocean. Her face was crumpled with grief, and she slumped down onto his wrinkled shirt.

"Casey. Casey, look at me," His step sister obliged, meeting his eyes, though it broke his heart to see her suffering. "Casey, there was nothing you could do to stop the car crash. There was nothing you could do to keep our parents from… from dying." On this last word, Derek was gasping for air, attempting to stay strong, at least until he was alone. He cleared his throat. "Casey, do NOT blame yourself. There was NOTHING you could have done!"

"Derek, I didn't even get to tell them I loved them. They were murdered, not knowing if I cared…" She cast her eyes downward, away from him, towards the windows dripping with darkness, filtering out the light, and letting in only the blackness of their souls.

"Hey. Casey. Look at me," This time, she did not. He gripped her chin with a firm yet gentle force, making her bore into his own . "They knew, all of them, that you loved them. Every single one knew you would die for them, take their place somehow."

"If only I would have known. I could have.. " She trailed off.

"You could have what? Taken their place? Told them you loved them, even though they already knew that? Kept them off the road? Made that drunk driver knock into someone else's car? Make sure that he didn't die too, so he could pay for killing our family, as well as so many other people?" Derek was on a tangent. "There were so many things you could have done if you had known. I would have traded my life for my dad, Edwin, Marti, Nora, Lizzie. I would have done all that too. But we DIDN'T know."

Casey was beginning to sober up. Her eyes began to look droopy, and sad, but at least somewhat drier. "I know Derek. But there is always that what if, and I will always wonder what could have happened. Nothing you say will change that." She looked at him, her big blue eyes staring into his soul, all the way down into the innermost chambers of his heart. And with one, heart breaking sigh, said, "I miss them, Derek."

All Derek could do was wrapping her in a big bear hug, comforting her with a physical connection that words never would be able to. They fell back onto the pillows, laying in each others arms. Casey's head lay right above the empty spot where Derek's heart used to lay, and was soon asleep, lulled by the consistent filling of his lungs. Derek stayed awake for a long while, stroking her hair, while silent tears rolled down his cheeks.

**So now you know how everyone dies. Drunk driving accident, all the people in the crashed vehicles died, the car exploded, killing any remaining chance that the family still would have been alive. BTW, both Derek and Casey are 18 years old, and it's the summer after their senior year of high school. Comments/Questions/Concerns??**


	6. Right but Wrong?

A blinding explosion. Heat. Light. Hearbreak. Then darkness.

Derek woke up with a start. He sat up rigidly. Light was streaming in from his windows, blinding him. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, squeezed his eyes shut, and took a deep breath. The dreams, well, the nightmares, were always so vivid, it was as if he couldn't escape the death of his family. In his daily life, there was a constant reminder of it, it was always there. Like his heartbeat, the death, the grief, wouldn't go away. Even sleep, the one salvation he was supposed to have left, deprived him of all safety, of all comfort, of all joy.

Trying to clear his mind, Derek looked around his messy brown room. Clothes were everywhere. He groaned to himself, thinking he would have to clean them all up. He flopped down on his warm, soft bed, and felt something hard, and bony, in the middle of his back. He froze. He slowly looked to his left. An arm, leading up to a body, was wedged between his back and his mattress. The arm was attached to a shoulder, a shoulder that was covered with, long, gorgeous, chestnut hair. Derek felt his own body slump with relief, realizing that it was only Casey.

He carefully picked himself up, so as not to wake her, and moved her arm from underneath him. He watched her sleep. She was so peaceful. The night before was often pierced with her screams, as she too, relived the nightmare, the reality of seeing her family killed. It had been a long night, and she deserved to rest. Derek let himself admire her. She had always been beautiful, with her big baby blues, and her perfect skin. But it was more than her physical appearance that made Casey so wonderful. She was sweet, and caring, and open, someone you could truly trust.

He blinked out of his reverie, realizing that it wasn't quite right to think of her like that. Not that he had been actually doing anything wrong, but she was his sister, and that's how he meant to keep her. Casey was curled up on her side, like she was protecting herself, too bad it was her own mind that was hurting her. Derek's gaze lingered on her face. Her long, lush eyelashes swept down gracefully from her eyes. Her face was warm and soft with the sun casting its yellow and orange beams upon her. Her big cherry lips curled into a semi smile.

As Derek watched her, he smiled to himself. That's when Casey opened her eyes. They were red and puffy, from crying the night before, but still as blue as ever.

"Hi," She said quietly.

"Hey. How ya doing?" He asked, and not just as a formality, but genuinely concerned.

"If you want me to be honest with you, horrible. You?"

Derek chuckled sympathetically. "Been better. C'mon, we better get up."

Casey looked pained. "But why? I don't want to face the world today."

"Well, for one thing, I'm starving. For another, its 3 p.m. and we should get out of the house today."

She nodded. "Okay, Derek. If that's what you think is best," And then she started to move out of his bed.

"That's it? You're not going to fight me on this?"

"Nope," She shook her head. "I'm not. I'm too tired, and too depressed to be normal. Plus, I like not fighting with you." Casey looked at her hands.

"Me too," He said to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing. I said, nothing." Derek smiled. "Do you want to shower first?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Derek helped Casey out of bed, and to rush into the bathroom. Marti's things cluttered the floor, but the two young adults tried to ignore them. Derek got Casey a towel, and headed out of the bathroom. He decided to shower later that night, so he went to his room to get changed.

--

Casey hadn't meant to do it. She just wanted to get her cell phone from Derek's room. What she got instead, well, she still hadn't decided if it was better, or worse.

Casey had just pushed open the barely cracked door to his bedroom. She thought Derek was getting breakfast, and was surprised to see him, in his room, with his shirt off. Though living at George's house for over 3 years or so, Casey had rarely ever seen Derek without his shirt on, except for going to the pool, but she had been with one of her boyfriends then. She was shocked to see Derek so toned and tanned. Hockey had given him a 6 pack of abs, and matching biceps, too.

Casey stood in the doorway for all of thirty seconds, ogling her brother, before he turned around and caught her staring. His brown eyes drug hers up from his stomach, capturing hers, all the while his messy bed hair fell into his handsome face.

"Did you forget something?" He asked, quite unembarrassed about the whole situation.

"Um… " She cleared her throat. "Um… Yeah, I wanted my, uh, cell phone." Oddly enough she could feel herself blushing.

_Casey, get a grip! So he has his shirt off, so what? He is your brother!!Leave him alone! _Casey mentally scolded herself.

Derek raised his eyebrows at her expectantly, as if to say, what are you waiting for? Go and get your phone.

She giggled nervously, and rushed to get her cell. "Sorry," she called, racing back out of his room, and into the normality of the bathroom.

--

Derek stood there, sighing deeply. Casey staring at him felt, he didn't quite know how to describe it, but it felt _right_, and yet, at the same time, so wrong. He had never felt anything quite like it before. Casey, with her wild blue eyes scorching his skin, had woken something within him, and it was like a disease, spreading like rapid fire throughout his skin.

With his parents death, and Casey, and just life in general, there was one thing Derek was certain of. It was going to be a long day.


	7. the movies

**I'm sooo sorry I haven't written in the longest time!! I've been so busy. My family had to give up my dog recently because he had, shall we say, anger management problems. It was really hard. Then add school and boys, cute boys, in the mix, and my life has been really hectic lately. I'll try to write sooner! Xoxo**

Derek and Casey hurriedly got ready. They went downstairs for breakfast, but being so used to Nora making their meals, they physically weren't able to make their own. The kitchen was too harsh of a reminder of what they had lost, and what couldn't be found.

Casey looked at Derek, tears in her eyes, and said, "Let's go out for a while."

Derek, also blinking back his painful emotions, cleared his throat before replying. "Um, yeah. A day out might be fun."

His voice was rougher than normal, and Casey could just tell how close he was to tears. Then she realized that he hadn't cried once since finding out about their family….

Softly she said, "You know, its okay to cry. No one, I guess I mean me, would think you're any less of a man for crying."

He glared at her through with shiny eyes. "I'm not crying. I have allergies! They make my eyes all weird!"

"Derek, it's November…." Casey tried to say gently.

"So?? We probably have mold."

Knowing further arguing would be useless, Casey just rushed into Derek's car, and turned up the radio, drowning out anymore dangerous, tear provoking thoughts.

Derek and Casey went to Dunkin' Donuts for food. They decided that for the rest of the day, they would stay out of the house. Both kids had enough money to keep them occupied for a couple of hours at the very least.

They headed to the movies. Sitting in a dark theater, getting absorbed into an alternate reality, made their life disappear. All their troubles, worries, hopes, desires… But the last one was harder to escape.

-

Derek only went to see a chick flick with Casey because he was being stupid. He realized that now, sitting in a dark theater, watching a sexy kissing scene, right next to a sexy girl.

'_Whoa… I did not just call Casey sexy. I would never say that. I wouldn't even think that! But I did…'_

When Casey had asked him if he minded seeing Ever After, which was this week's special showing at the theater, he had been so intent on his….. "internal battles" (for he would not believe he would cry. Men didn't cry. And that's what Derek was, a man)….. that he hadn't been paying attention.

Oh, but he was now. He was well aware of the movie, and the romantic atmosphere, and the girl…

Movies were his date place. He never went without a girl. Correction, without a girl he could make out with. That's probably what was making this so uncomfortable. He had trained his body to expect certain types of attention, and it wasn't receiving any. It couldn't be that he……it wasn't that…… he DID NOT like Casey. That was gross, and bad!

But part of him was left wondering.

-

Casey was trying to concentrate on the movie. She really was. Ever After was one of those feel good, warm and fuzzy movies she loved. But it was hard to watch it with Derek constantly moving and twitching in his seat. As the movie went on, the more and more aware she was of Derek--well his uncomfortability. Cough, cough.

She found herself watching him more than the film. She noticed every time he twitched, fidgeted, so much as scratched. It was so cute to watch how awkward he was when the kissing scene came up! At least it was, until she saw all the other couples start their own mini make out sessions. And then Derek kept glancing at her, licking his lips, and looking down.

Casey's heart started racing. Her breathing got more and more shallow. She tried to calm down by closing her eyes, but that only made everything worse. She just kept imagining Derek leaning over and kissing her.

When her eyes flew open, and she saw him, it just played over in her mind. And the part that really scared her, was how much she wanted it to happen. She wanted to be just like one of Derek's dates, and for a moment she was content to pretend.

'_It's not even that big of deal. Who would care if we started going out? People would think our emotional stress had brought us closer together. I mean, Derek and I are just two ordinary kids, now that Mom and…'_

she couldn't even finish the thought. That was all that she needed to snap out of that kind of mind set. Casey, who was now cold and lonely on the inside, instead of warm and, somewhat, envious of the other couples, was more than happy to try to finish out the movie.

Derek on the other hand…..

-

'_What the HECK is going on?! I need to get out of here. Okay, calm down D, only a half hour more. A half hour?! I can't sit by _her_ right now! I should not be thinking like this! What am I going to do!'_

Derek finally had to excuse himself to the bathroom. He needed to calm himself down, all of himself… Then he waited outside the theater for the movie to be over, knowing that if he went back in, and saw Casey there, looking happy and pretty and all that crap he was starting to love hate, he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from giving her a mind blowing kiss.

And a few more after that.

**Well how about that. I really did not think this chapter was going to turn out like that. And I wrote it. HA! George and gang in the ground not even a week, and already the kids are experiencing some "new freedom" they never would have had if George and Nora were still together. **

**Thanks for reading, and please, please comment!!**


	8. Sweet Darkness

**This chapter has a lot of dialogue in it and it's longer than most of my others, but my last chapter really sucked, and so I really tried to improve this one back to my original standards. If you hate it, please comment, I need the criticism. If you love it, please comment, because it's a major self esteem booster! Enjoy.**

The night of the movies was little better than the night before. Derek was able to get Casey to sleep in her own bed, but he when he lay down in his own, he was lonely and cold. There was a hole in his chest where his heart had been, and it was lying open, gaping out, like a painfully fresh war wound. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, the moonlight shining in his eyes, outlining his bleeding chest. The shadows creeped up on him, with devious whispers of nightmares to come.  
After spending hours tossing and turning, fed up with ghosts chasing him through his head, Derek padded down the hall to Casey's room. He found her sitting up with her lamp on, blankets balled up around her waist, quickly glancing around the darkest corners of the room. When she finally saw him standing in her doorway, Casey's sweat covered face broke into a relieved look of surprise.

"Derek!!" she excitedly whispered. Then she looked confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, was checking up on you….?"

Casey raised one eyebrow. "Really?" She asked skeptically.

"Um, yeah. You know how it is. With everything going on, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Uh huh. Okay, sure. If that's what you want me to think. Well as you can see, I'm fine…."

Knowing she would send him away if he didn't tell her the truth, he interrupted, "Ok, actually, I couldn't get to sleep. It's too quiet and I …. "He took a breath. "…. I needed someone to keep me company."

Casey's pained face revealed understanding. She scooted over and patted one half of her twin size bed. Derek rushed over, and crawled under her warm covers. They settled down comfortably, with Derek on his back, holding Casey tightly in his arms.

After cocooning them in her soft blankets, Casey fell almost instantaneously asleep. Derek stayed awake for a couple minutes more, absorbing the warmth and comfort Casey could provide. His heart didn't hurt as bad, he wasn't cold, and the only whispers he heard were of warm places and happy people. He was finally relaxed enough to follow his step sister into a sweet unconscious darkness.

ZZZZZZZZZ

Ding dong! The doorbell echoed throughout the house, waking Casey from her peaceful slumber. She slowly stretched under her covers, enjoying the feel of bliss and a full night's sleep, until her feet hit something warm, and alive. Her body quickly snapped to attention, and whipping her head around, caught sight of the 'thing' in her bed. Then she rolled her eyes at herself for being so oblivious.

Of course Derek was in her bed from last night. That's how she was finally able to fall asleep. Of course he was in her bed. How else had she stayed warm last night? Of course he was in there! That's why Casey was able to not wake up moaning in heartache this morning!

The doorbell rang again, reminding Casey of why she was awake in the first place. She quietly crept downstairs, running past Edwin's and Marti's rooms.

Before opening the door, Casey did a quick double check on her hair, which was an absolute mess, and straightened her disorganized pajamas. Then she pulled open the door.

The word shock didn't even begin to describe her feelings at seeing Sam and Emily standing outside. "Hi, Casey," Emily said quietly, almost unsure of how to approach her best friend, and her best friends newfound "issues". Sam looked just as nervous, if his almost non existent smile proved anything.

"What are you doing here?" Casey asked. Then she realized what she had said. "Sorry, I just kind of blurted that out. I mean, why are you here at" She checked her cellphone. "Eight in the morning?"

Sam and Emily looked at each other, then at Casey and back again. "Well, we came to see how you guys were doing. Are you mad?" Emily asked.

"Mad? No! You guys obviously care. Of course I'm not mad. But you could have picked a better time. "

"Sorry Casey. Can, uh, we come in?" Sam inquired, fidgeting on the doorstep.

"What? Oh. OH! Yeah. Sure. Come in." She stood aside to let them through. After a thoroughly uncomfortable silence, where they just stared at her, then the floor, then back at her, she said, "Um, Derek isn't up yet, let me go get him. Just, um, just stay. I'll be right back." Casey raced upstairs, leaving Sam and Emily looking small and alone in the empty living room.

When she got to her room, she saw that Derek was still not up, and that he was cuddling with Casey's pillow. She sat down on an empty spot on her bed.

"Derek…" She called softly. He groaned and turned away from her.

"Derek…. It's time to get up…" She gently pushed his hair back from his face.

"Derek!" She shook his shoulder. He just curled into a ball and hid his thick head of hair under the covers. "Derek, Sam and Emily are here. They want to talk to us."

At that comment, his head jerked up. But the momentum of that action and the narrowness of Casey's bed caused him to roll off, and slam on to the floor.

Casey burst out laughing. Derek looked up at her and grinned a boyish grin, one that made her heart melt. They sat in those positions for a moment, just absorbing each other's sunniness, the happy 

light they shone upon one another. Then Casey heard Emily call her name up the stairs. She blinked out of her peaceful, isolated moment, and sighed.

Derek, just remembering the comment made before he fell off the bed, asked, "Did you say Sam and Emily are here?"

Casey solemnly nodded. "Oh." Derek remarked. "I guess we should head down then." Again, Casey had to agree, just not whole heartedly. "Yeah, I guess so," She said in a cheerless voice.

The step siblings headed down stairs, making an odd pair while wearing pj's, having bed head, and trying to kill their guests with morning breath.

"Hey Sam!" Derek exclaimed, trying to be the same Derek he was before his family was destroyed. Trying, but failing miserably.

"Hey man. How ya doing, with, um, you know, _everything_?" Sam came over and patted Derek's shoulder in a sign of manly affection and sympathy.

"Fine, dude." He looked at the two girls staring at him and his odd behavior. "Lets go chill in my room. It's quiet up there."

Sam nodded knowingly. The boys trudged upstairs to Derek's room, slamming the bedroom door, and leaving the house in silence.

**Ok… Maybe a bad way to leave off, but this was super long, like previously mentioned, and I wanted kind of a cliff hanger, you know, with the not knowing what Emily and Casey or Sam and Derek will talk about… It's a work in progress. I hope you liked it. ******


	9. Summertime

'…_.Derek touched Casey's arm, stopping her before she left the room. She turned towards him, watching as a look of pure desire passed over his face. Her breathing came out, more and more shallow. A blush creeped up her neck and spread through her cheeks. Her heart was racing. And more than anything, Casey wanted to touch Derek. _

_She walked towards him, getting closer and closer, until there was barely an inch of space between their chests. Derek's arms encircled around her waist, fitting her perfectly along his body. Casey could feel all of his muscles. She reached her arm up and stroked his cheek, amazed at the softness of it, compared to his hard biceps. Casey found herself staring at his lips. Her thumb gently touched them, inviting her closer._

_Licking her own, she forced herself to look away from her stepbrother's perfectly kissable mouth. She ended up looking into his eyes. This new spot was little better than his mouth. They were dark brown, like a pool of melted chocolate, and Casey was drowning. She was hardly aware of the heat radiating from both of their bodies, making the rest of the room cool, and Derek… erotic._

_The next few seconds lasted an eternity, as a million and one thoughts raced through Casey's mind, telling her why she shouldn't kiss Derek, why she couldn't want him like she did, and why she absolutely had to have him. These very thoughts were creating complete havoc in her head, growing louder and louder, shrieking at her as Casey's head crept closer towards Derek's, ignoring her conscience and letting instinct take over._

_Then…… Silence. _

_It was total and blissfully peaceful. The second before their lips touched, the world went silent, as if it too were urging Casey on. When Casey felt Derek's breath, when she heard him whisper her name, she couldn't stand it anymore. She pulled his mouth to her, kissing her stepbrother entirely, fully on the lips…' _

Casey's eyes snapped open, her lips still tingling. It had all been a dream. The same dream Casey had had for the last couple of days, as she lay in Derek's arms. The same dream that made her wonder why she continued to torture herself. She slept in his bed, on his chest, but not _with_ him, just beside him. She was good enough to talk to, to pour his heart out to, but not kiss? But not to love?

She didn't realize she was shaking until Derek moved. She asked herself why she wouldn't, couldn't, come clean to him about how she truly felt inside. That was until Derek mumbled something under his breath. Casey leaned closer to hear. Was it possible he was dreaming about her?

"Smarti??" He cried. It was only then that Casey saw Derek was having a nightmare. His breath came out in gasps; he was sweating, thrashing around with a pained look on his face. "Edwin?!" Derek was panicking. "Dad?!"

Casey knew he was dreaming about the night their family was killed. It was a dream, up until recently, Casey herself had been reliving night after night. The reason she and Derek still shared a bed. To soothe one another. This was the answer Casey had been looking for. The reason she couldn't tell Derek about her lust for him. If he said no, that he didn't feel the same way, both Casey and Derek would isolate 

themselves from their only source of comfort. It wasn't worth the risk. Plus, what would their family have thought about it? They might have been dead, but Casey valued their opinion, even into the afterlife.

Derek sat bolt right up in bed. "NO!!" he screamed, glancing about the room wildly. He was shaking all over, and looked ready to cry. Casey crawled over to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She hugged him, making nonsensical sounds, soothing him back to sleep.

Knowing it was pointless to attempt going to sleep, Casey quietly went downstairs, hoping to find something that made her want to eat. By this time, it was almost noon, and Sam and Emily had been gone for a little over 3 hours. From what she had gotten out of Derek, Sam had come over to talk to Derek about the funeral and to make sure he was getting along ok. Then he tried to distract him by telling him about the girls by the pool, which usually always put Derek in a better mood. The boys were in Derek's room for a long time, so Casey didn't believe that was all they had talked about. With a little more investigating, she discovered that they also talked about Emily, because Sam might have a crush on her! Casey was happy, surprisingly so, and wished that she and Emily had talked about Sam.

She had been glad to talk about her parents and siblings death with Emily, because it gave her some closure, but it wasn't the same as talking with Derek. Emily didn't understand the pain she was going through, didn't understand how lost she felt, and how scared she was. Emily would have understood Casey's growing attraction to Derek, but she couldn't tell her that. Emily would be so hurt if Casey stole her long time crush. And what would she think of Casey for dating her step brother?

Sadly, when the time came, Casey was happy to see her guests leave. She had gotten virtually no sleep the night before, and it was a little more than uncomfortable with Sam and Emily around. Not easy like it used to be. There were too many unspoken words, and too many pitiful gazes to deal with. The emotional strain was too great to handle, and Casey needed a break.

"At least," Casey said to herself as she settled down at the kitchen island with her sandwich, "it's summer time."


	10. Chapter 10

Weeks passed. Casey and Derek lived moment to moment, relieved at the end of each day, when they could collapse in sleep and let their world black out, not exist, even for a little while. As each day passed, the pain lessened, and the teenagers adjusted to their new lives, lives void of the safety and love only family could provide.

After each sunrise, Casey came to hate the world, and the people in it. Their happy faces, loving eyes, trusting souls. They had no idea that their whole world could shatter, completely be obliterated by something as simple as a car accident! They didn't appreciate all the blessings they had, all the things they took for granted, things that Casey and Derek would never have again.

But more than hatred, she envied the world. She would give anything to come home to her mom's cooking; she would rather be grounded forever, surrounded by those she loved, to still be able to tell Lizzie all of her secrets and desires, than live in this desolate house, this house of pain. Casey missed her family, more than anyone could imagine. She was an orphan, an only child, separated from her only true kindred.

To Casey, she was living life with a phantom limb, only this one was one limb that there was no aesthetic appendage for the doctors to replace. She was living with a ghost of what used to be her heart. And every time she came across something, a sight, a texture, a fragrance, anything that triggered a memory, her spirit heart remembered her family, and she was filled with a pain so sharp, that she felt she must have popped a lung, or shattered a bone, or been skinned alive!

She missed the feeling of having total confidence in someone, that no matter what she did, she was still loved. She missed being totally blissful spending a whole day in her pajamas, watching cartoons with Marti, not caring who saw her. She missed being loved, and more than anything, she missed having someone to love. Her mom, raised her since she was a newborn, gave her all the love she could possibly spare; Lizzie, her little sister, someone to talk to and who admired her, even though they were so different. Even her new family, George, her new step dad, Edwin, her annoying yet lovable stepbrother, and Marti, the adventurous and headstrong baby step sister who had a will strong enough to blast through walls. She felt their emptiness as if they had died only moments ago, but felt so weary, so worn out from all of the grief, she knew it couldn't possibly be true.

Casey was well aware that her life would always be incomplete, and there was no way to solve this, the most difficult of problems. She would never have her mom at her wedding, or have George walk her down the aisle. She would never be an aunt, or get to swap parenting tips with her sisters. She would never see any of her siblings drive, or graduate high school. At Christmas, there would always be vacant spots when singing carols, and abandoned chairs at Thanksgiving.

The future looked bleak and hopeless. The only thing that got Casey up in the morning was the knowledge that someone still needed her, someone still loved (or at least liked her), and that if she wasn't there beside him every morning and every night, he would be more lost and alone than he was already. And that was too much to bear. No human being should have to bear that much pain alone.

All of this ran through Casey's head as she lay in bed, relishing the in the darkness of the night, a black so black, it matched the place where her heart used to be, and her attitude. The silence coming from outside let her think, and wonder, and despair, and cry, and think some more.

A rustling of blankets made Casey snap out of her thoughts. She studied Derek as he rolled over, facing her now, peace settling into his sleeping face, letting him relax for the first time all day. A brief flash of jealousy splashed over her.

'_Why should Derek be able to sleep, when I'm stuck here awake because he won't hold still? Why should find peace, when I'm tormented with death every time I close my eyes?'_

And then she realized how unfair that was to him. Derek never complained to Casey about the extra housework he now had to do, about having to drag her along everywhere he went because she didn't want him out of her sight. He never whined about how unfair life was, how everyone else was happy and he wasn't. And since the day of the accident, she hadn't seen him cry.

'_Derek is probably hurting worse than I am. He never shows any emotion. He's all bottled up inside. He's being mature, while I whine at everything that doesn't go my way because my family died and we deserve to have some good luck. I don't deserve good luck, any more than the next person just because most of my life has been blown apart. Derek does. Who would have ever thought Derek could make me a better person?'_

And the only emotion she was left with was remorse.

She watched him sleep, his breath coming out in a soothing rhythm. He was completely stretched out, relaxed, not hunched up like he was when he was awake. He wasn't vulnerable, he was safe. Safe from himself, and what his head was doing to him.

Derek's shaggy hair was dangling right above his long, feathery eyelashes. Casey gently, so as not to wake him, pushed it out of his serene face, and almost smiled to herself as he sighed with contentment. She let her fingers graze down his cheek, marveling at the smoothness of it, stopping only to think he must have shaved before bed, before continuing her exploration of his angelic face. Unable to stop herself, she traced his pouty lips, wondering the last time she had seen those lips stretch into a smile, or open for a laugh, the last time he wasn't faking being happy, the last time he was blissfully carefree and obnoxious. The last time he was her step brother, and not her friend. Casey definitely missed the old Derek, and would have traded him for this new Derek any day, even if they were closer now.

The last thought Casey had before drifting off to sleep was, '_Derek deserves to be happy, and I would rather have a step brother who hates me, than one who's miserable and deals with me._' Then she clasped his hand, and fell off the abyss into the utter darkness of sleep.

**Some last minute comments. First of all, I'm pretending Casey never knew her father, just so we don't have to deal with him. Secondly, when I said Casey was alone and lacking her "true kindred" I meant her biological family. Thirdly, you have to realize that Casey is under the assumption that Derek does not like Casey, in fact he barely tolerates her, but he needs a supportive shoulder, which is why they still sleep in the same bed. Of course, you know this isn't true, Derek likes Casey, blah blah blah, and in the end they will be together. **

**I have an issue. I have severe writers block and I don't know where to head next. I was thinking about some distant great aunt hearing about the news of the deaths and then sending them money to "regain some stability" and head out to like Florida or something. Any ideas would be appreciative. I hope you still like the story, and please comment!!**


	11. Panic Attack

Casey was in the shower. Derek took the opportunity to think, or in his case, pace. He felt trapped, trapped in his own room, in his own house, trapped in his own life. Too many things were going on that needed his full attention, and he was drowning in this sea of madness.

Casey was a supposed to be a support system, and she was, but she was also too clingy. She needed to be with him every second of the day, and the pressures of her expectations, as well as his own, were too great to handle comfortably. He couldn't be the laid back guy he used to be, the guy who cared about no one and nothing, showing no emotion except sarcasm. Suddenly, he had to mature, and accommodating and be nice to a person he once thought he hated. Derek had to be the adult, and the responsibilities of this position were far more difficult than anticipated.

He worried constantly about the future, a major change from the guy who used to be all about "the now". He and Casey were heading off to college in a few months, what would they do with the house? Should they sell it? That seemed the only reasonable answer, but who were they to sell their family's stuff? And if they didn't, how would they afford the bills? They could only expect their parents' life insurance to pay for everything for so long. Casey and Derek weren't capable of getting jobs that paid well enough for the upkeep, and manage their own living expenses. And what about Casey and Derek's college demands? Derek fully expected his dad and Nora to help him pack and unpack for college. Not to mention, do his laundry, help with homework, and send money for spending. Casey surely was expecting something of a similar nature.

Derek was overwhelmed. The brown walls of his bedroom were closing in on him, and the world started to spin. He wasn't able to judge the distance to his bed. His breathing came out in short, quick breaths until he was hyper ventilating. His vision began to grow fuzzy and black. Spots swam in his eyes. His ears became plugged, like when he would take a ride on an airplane. His center of balance was thrown off as he began to sway. He put out his hand, but couldn't remember which way was up. Right before he passed out, he saw one perfectly clear picture of Casey's face, and then his bedroom went black, like a solar eclipse, and he fell to the floor.

When he came to, Derek found himself looking into a blue so clear; he thought he was in heaven, close enough to the cerulean sky that he could reach out and stroke the velvety depths of the atmosphere. His body was being shaken too, so he supposed the clouds beneath his feet were rumbling. That's when he heard it, that's when he knew he had died. A sopranic angel was calling his name.

"Derek….." It was spoken in a musical lilt. "Derek…?" Now she sounded confused. "Derek?" Was it worry that affected her voice? "DEREK?!"

The fog around his brain suddenly cleared out. Derek was lying on the floor of his bedroom, between his desk and his bed. Casey was kneeling beside him on the floor, in a white terrycloth bathrobe that hit her 

thighs, her chestnut hair dripping into his face. All of his reflexes kicked in at once, and his whole body jerked upright. He gasped in air, taking in big gulps, as if he really had been drowning.

"Ow." He said, touching the back of his head, feeling a bump already forming. He reached for the desk to use as a support to stand up.

"Whoa. Whoa, whoa. What are you doing?" Casey pushed his shoulders back to the ground.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to shower, seeing as how you're done." He shook of her hands, which were making him feel uncomfortable in more ways than one.

"Not at that speed! You just fainted, buddy. Let me make sure you're okay first." Derek knew she was trying to help, but he was sick of being accommodating, of just rolling over and playing dead; his family was already doing that part. He was going to shower, and she was not going to stop h-

"Wait, did you just say fainted? As in damsel in distress fainting at a big scary monster? _Fainting?_" All other thoughts stopped at this word. He was Derek Venturi, king of his high school, and controller of all things female. The Derek he had been for the past month was Derek MacDonald, lord of the gays and dweebs, and he was done with him. The old Derek was coming back, even if it meant alienating his step sister again…

"No! Not damsel, just, um… Well, I just meant you, uh, passed out. Not damsel in distress, you're probably, um, sick. That's why we need to check you out."

A sarcastic comment creeped right up out of his gut, letting him know Derek Venturi was back on the throne. "Baby, you can check me out all you want. Just wait till I finish showering." He made sure his usual smirk was in place, and his hand was on her knee by the time he finished.

A look of what can only be described as revulsion mixed in with heartbreak and a hint of, was that desire?, passed along Casey's face, before she conceded. "Derek…." She sighed. "Fine. Go shower. Don't come running to me when you pass out again because I'm not coming to the rescue…." He didn't hear the rest as he strode out of the room, and out of Casey's favor.

Casey fumed. Just when Derek and she were beginning to bond, just when she began to love him as part of the family, he decides to go all immature on her. What had she been thinking? Expecting Derek to grow up, just because he now had to become the 'man of the house'? That was all part of the grieving stage. Adult Derek was gone, and the truth was, Casey was going to miss him.

She sighed. "Ugh, I so need to get out of here. I need to escape from …." She looked around, her eyes catching on a photo Derek had of him and Edwin sitting together. "Everything." She left Derek's room to get dressed, only to realize she needed to grab her purple bra from the laundry room. She raced down the steps, and gathered her "lingerie", and was on her way back upstairs when the door bell rang.

"Ugh! People leave me alone. I need to get dressed!" Casey muttered to herself.

She opened the door to find a package on the porch. Casey scooped it up and brought it into the house. The package was for her and Derek, she assumed to unwrap together. She opened it anyways. In the package were a couple of plane tickets, a batch of cookies, and a portly letter. Setting aside the plane tickets and the cookies (those would be of more use later), she opened the letter. Then she raced to the bathroom.

Casey barged in, screaming, "Derek!"

His head appeared from behind the shower curtain. "What?"

"The mail just came, and – "

"Thanks for the notification. Close the door on the way out." His head disappeared again.

"Derek, it's important!" Not even bothering to look at her anymore, she heard a grunt in response. Taking that as her cue to carry on, she continued. "Do you remember Mom's great Aunt Martha?"

"That old lady from the wedding? The one who looked like she experienced the beginning and end of the dinosaur era?"

"Yeah, that one. Anyways, we got a letter saying that she just passed away and-"

"Seems to be a popular trend now a days."

Ignoring his hurtful comment, one she was sure came from grief and bitterness, she persisted. "She left her estate to us."

"Us? You and me?" The shower shut off.

"Well, not exactly. To the MacDonald's; Mom, Lizzy, and me. But since they're, um, preoccupied –"

"Dead, you mean?" He climbed out of the tub, wrapped only in a towel, damp hair flopping in his usually sweet, mahogany eyes.

Tears of anger and suffering stung her eyes. "Yes, dead. Never coming back. Gone into the light. Pushing up daisies. Up in heaven. Enclosed in a blanket of eternal blackness. Just like Mom, and Lizzie and George and Edwin and Marti! Are you done being rude, or can I continue?!" The last sentence was punctuated with a touch of hysteria, betraying to the ever ignorant Derek how she much harm he was causing her. "You know what, just forget it." She walked towards the door, tears silently streaming down her face.

"Ah, Casey. Wait! I'm sorry." He pulled her back into the bathroom, enveloping her in a hug, letting her cry into his bare shoulder.

After a few minutes, Casey calmed down, and just stood there, absorbing all the comfort her step brother offered her. When the scent of his golden skin and the warmth of his bare chest began to create certain sensations in her heart, she pulled away.

"You ok?" Derek asked gently, proving that his maturity wasn't all gone. When she nodded, he said, "Please tell me what's up with Aunt Martha. I want to know." The lying teenager even went as far as to offer Casey a small smile to make her feel better.

She smiled, though weakly, back. "Aunt Martha died, and she left all her estate to us. It's in Florida, right along the beach, and she wanted us to go down there and check it out."

Derek looked at her, disbelieving. "She wants us to go all the way down to Florida, right now? Leave everything behind?"

"We don't have to. I just thought it was a good idea, too. Give us a break from this place. We can stay here, though, if you want."

"NO! I mean, I want to go. I need to go. If this morning's panic attack taught me anything, it's that I need a break." He held out his hand. "Can I see the letter?"

Casey held out her hand, trying to pass him the letter. Derek only raised his eyebrows. Confused, Casey glanced down. She was holding out her purple bra. Her bra. To her step brother. Who kept invoking confusing and she was pretty sure, taboo feelings inside of her. Her hand stayed in the air for a few eternal seconds as Casey realized that she was still in her robe, very naked underneath, and Derek was in a towel, also very naked underneath, and that she was trying to hand him her bra. She thrust the letter on to the bathroom sink and darted out of the too small bathroom, hearing Derek chuckle when she reached the hallway.

**Here you go. Derek and Casey are going to Florida. I'm considering having Sam and Emily coming along. What do you think?? R&R. Next chapter hopefully they'll all be on vacation. **


End file.
